"With the sun well and truly having set, Haru, Hisao, and I pass the time lazing around in front of the convenience store. The light from the store illuminates the street around us as we sit on the ground, backs propped up against the window."
"A couple of bags sit between us, holding a late dinner of onigiri, potato croquettes, and some canned drinks. Not exactly five-star cuisine, but it's edible and filling."
"Aside from the sound of our munching away and occasional chatter, there's little else to be heard. The bulk of school's students have retired to their dorm rooms for the evening by now, leaving us to shoot the breeze in peace."
his "Still surprised Yukio's not here."
mik "Don't believe him when he says he's studying?"
his "About as much as I'd believe you."
mik "Dick."
har "Leaving those two aside, I'm surprised you're not studying. You don't seem as careless as they are."
his "I needed the break, to be honest. There's only so much I can do before I'd burn out."
har "Sounds like you've got a good head on your shoulders."
"Hisao gives a grin and quick snort to pass off the praise, tucking into a drink aftewards. Praise seems to slide off him, which I've never quite understood. Why work so hard for no reward? I thought academic types lived for a pat on the head."
"Haru cares much less than I about the matter, plucking out a familiar magazine from his bag with his free hand while chomping at the onigiri held in the other."
mik "New issue out?"
har "Yeah. Want to read after me?"
mik "Sure."
his "A defence forces magazine? Didn't know you were interested in that stuff."
har "Gotta have something to occupy myself with besides baking cakes."
his "You've really got your eye set on working in a bakery, don't you?"
mik "You make that sounds like a bad thing. Having a purpose to your life is admirable, no matter what it is."
his "That sounds absolutely bizarre, coming from you."
"I can't help but glare at him. For him to say that feels like an invalidation of everything that happened before my accident."
"But on the other side of the coin, that's the front I've been presenting to him to begin with. My dream died. It's gone. What's the point in bringing it up?"
"Without realising it, I've begun to rub my stump once more. Thankfully, Haru fills the air with more meaningless words to try and liven things back up."
har "What about you, Hisao? You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, unlike her. Surely you have something to apply that brain to."
his "To be honest, I haven't really given it much thought. Suppose I'll have to, with graduation on the horizon."
his "I do agree with Miki, though. It's good to have something to work towards."
his "Come to think of it, what are you planning on doing with yourself?"
"I should've known that would come up."
mik "I plan on enjoying the springtime of youth."
his "In other words, nothing."
mik "You say that like it's a bad thing. We're only young once, man."
"He looks to the side, but finds no support from Haru. With a magazine in one hand and food in the other, he's made it clear he has no intention of getting involved."
"Hisao's eyes linger for a little too long, and as I follow his gaze, I see why. Even Haru looks up from his magazine after noticing the lull in the discussion."
"A girl in the Yamaku uniform comes striding up the street in the direction of school, the three of us watching her as she strolls past. Quite a pretty thing, and carries herself well."
"Whether she's noticed our glances is answered by the flirtatious flick she gives her hair, showing a brief flash of her cute earrings. I guess that's the way the game is played."
"All too soon, she disappears into the night."
"With the three of us thoroughly distracted, the previous discussion is hard to return to. Hisao and I take a few more gulps of our drinks, but Haru evidently has other ideas as he takes to his feet and passes me his reading material."
"Standing bolt upright and looking up the street, he looks like a man on a mission. I think I know what's gotten into his head."
his "What's wrong?"
har "Something came up. I have to go."
mik "Go get 'em, tiger."
"He gives us a nod before heading off, running a hand through his hair before putting them in his pockets to appear as casual as he can."
his "The springtime of youth, huh?"
mik "Just as I said."
"With the two of us left to our own devices, I pick up the can next to me and give it a swirl to check if it's empty, Hisao digging around in the bag between us for a croquette. As he pulls one out, he makes a disappointed face."
his "Aww, last one."
mik "Mine!"
his "What? No."
"Hisao fearfully twists to the side, clutching it with both hands as if it were a pearl or diamond. Without a second thought, I drop the magazine and can, jumping onto his back to try and snatch it from his grasp."
his "Miki!?"
mik "I said mine! Give it!"
"I throw my left arm around his neck to pin myself to him as I swipe at the food, Hisao frantically holding it out as far as he can with his right hand while jabbing me repeatedly with his left elbow."
mik "I need sustenance!"
his "So what? I got it out! It's mine!"
"We struggle some more as he tries in vain to throw me off, the two of us probably looking like utter idiots to any passerby. He suddenly changes tack and thrusts the croqette towards his mouth, but I manage to get an iron grip on his wrist."
"He frantically tries to move his arm, but it's hopeless. I'm taken off guard by how little effort it takes to manhandle him, as he looked quite well built at a glance. I push further into his back and squeeze my hand to make him drop it, drawing further protests as my grip gets tighter and tighter."
"Our growling and grunting gets louder and louder, before eventually the pain becomes too much for him. Hisao's fingers snap open with the food promptly dropping to the pavement. I quickly reach out and grab it before he has the chance, before pulling back and returning to my seat as he rubs his sore wrist."
"The both of us take a breather after the scuffle, the conquered casting a distinct frown towards the conqueror. I don't care; I got my food."
his "That's been on the ground, you know..."
mik "Five second rule."
"I give it a little dusting before jamming the item into my mouth in one go. It's a bit cold by now, but still worth the effort."
"All Hisao's left to do as I munch away is heave a sigh and deposit our bags into the nearby bin, taking care to retrieve the can I threw away and dump that in too."
"With dinner finished, I give my stomach a hearty pat and lean back against the window. It doesn't look like Hisao has any intentions of leaving as he retakes his seat beside me, making it obvious that he still has something he wants talk about."
mik "So, what's eating you?"
"He looks surprised that I picked up on it for a moment, but eventually acquiesces."
his "I'm not really sure. I guess with the summer holidays around the corner after exams, I'm just getting a bit reflective."
his "I've been here for a month, but still feel like the ground's moving under my feet. Stuff's just happening around me, sort of thing."
mik "Isn't that normal? You didn't live alone before, right?"
his "Technically not, but both my parents worked. Spent most of my time either at practice or roaming around the city with friends, so I wasn't home much to begin with."
"Spoken like a true urbanite."
mik "Dude, living on your own for the first time is bloody hard. Handling laundry, feeding yourself for every meal, doing your chores out of need rather than being asked, being separated from your parents for months and sometimes years... it's a pretty huge change."
his "I had help, though. Shizune and Misha put themselves out for me more than once, and much as I hate to say it, you've been around too."
mik "And what, that makes me wrong? You're living on your own, and got help when you needed it. Sounds to me like you're doing pretty well for yourself."
mik "Even by Yamaku's standards you've been dealt a shit hand. I'm honestly pretty surprised you've managed so well, considering everything you've been through."
"His expressions drops, and after a brief moment of thought, it becomes all too obvious why."
his "You were in my room, weren't you?"
"I rapidly prepare to lie me ass off, but his dead serious expression leaves me speechless. I've never seen him so stony-faced. Awkwardly shrugging is all I can do."
mik "A bit?"
"What am I doing, I can lie better than that. What does that even mean, anyway?"
"Well, there's no use denying it now."
mik "Sorry."
mik "How did you know?"
his "After I take a particular pill, I turn the bottle around. Helps keep track of whether I've had my daily medications that day or not."
mik "And I didn't put one back the right way..."
mik "I do mean what I said, though. You've done well for yourself."
mik "To be honest, it makes me kinda jealous. I was a real piece of work when I first entered Yamaku, but here you are, skirting death and just rolling with the punches."
"I leave an opening for him to ask about me, but he doesn't take it. Instead, he just looks... tired. Like an old man reflecting as his eyes slowly close."
his "I wonder about that."
mik "What's wrong?"
"He slowly shakes his dreary head, still looking at the ground."
his "You wouldn't understand."
"Moments pass in silence, frustration at his sudden change in demeanor welling up."
"He's right, of course, but that doesn't make it any easier. Hisao isn't just taking pills to suppress some medical issue or another. He's taking pills to not die. I think about how to do two things at once, or how to do up a button with one hand. He thinks about mortality and how his end might come."
"We're eighteen. Kids. We can't even drink. That's too young to think about death. Of course I can't understand that crap, and neither can he, no matter how much he might pretend to."
"I end up responding the only way I know how. By hitting him around the back of his head."
his "Ow! What was that for!?"
mik "You're a real pain in the ass, you know that!?"
mik "I thought Suzu was hard enough to deal with, and then you go and start getting all mopey. We're teenagers; we're allowed to not think about that crap."
"Hisao's reaction to my frustrated appearance is both simple and unexpected. He laughs. At first a simpering chuckle, but in seconds he's escalated to a deep laugh right from the chest he appears to relish my pain. I should probably find it annoying for him to laugh at my expense, but it's more of a relief."
mik "So you can laugh. I was beginning to wonder."
his "I was just thinking about how ridiculously blunt you are. You don't know the meaning of tact, do you?"
his "But that's fine. I like that about you."
"All I can do is smile and give a halfhearted shrug at the compliment, and a bit out of relief that he didn't take too much offense. Hisao seems the type to appreciate honesty, after all, even if it is delivered in a frank way."
his "This is probably going to get me beaten, but... it's honestly hard to think of you as a girl. You certainly don't act like any I've been around."
mik "Believe me, I've heard that more than once."
his "You don't mind?"
mik "Couldn't care less. People can think what they like, doesn't harm me."
his "You're pretty weird, you know."
mik "I don't want to hear that from you."
"I hit him around the back of his head with my stump, drawing another chuckle from him. I can't help but get caught up in it, launching into laughter myself."
"Maybe it's from how curious a person Hisao is, the both of us laughing off such morbid thoughts of mortality and death, or simply two overly tired people getting caught up in the stresses of exams and school life..."
"But in any case, the both of us end up laughing together for a good, long while."